diff --git a/src/keyring.cpp b/src/keyring.cpp
index eb11e97..de0d30c 100644
--- a/src/keyring.cpp
+++ b/src/keyring.cpp
@@ -283,6 +283,8 @@ static std::string get_user_dir()
 	return "." CCR_CONFDIR; //fallback for absolutely desolate systems
 }
 
+#include "privfile.h"
+#include <fstream>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/file.h>
@@ -290,8 +292,6 @@ static std::string get_user_dir()
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 
-#include <fstream>
-
 /*
  * prepares the user directory with empty files and similar stuff.
  *
@@ -302,33 +302,12 @@ static std::string get_user_dir()
 static bool ensure_empty_sencode_file (const std::string&fn,
                                        const std::string&ident)
 {
-	struct stat st;
-	if (stat (fn.c_str(), &st)) {
-		if (errno != ENOENT)
-			return false;
+	sencode_list l;
+	sencode_bytes b (ident);
+	l.items.push_back (&b);
+	std::string emptyfile = l.encode();
 
-		//if it simply doesn't exist, create it
-		sencode_list l;
-		sencode_bytes b (ident);
-		l.items.push_back (&b);
-		std::string emptyfile = l.encode();
-
-		int fd;
-		fd = creat (fn.c_str(), S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR);
-		if (fd < 0) return false;
-		ssize_t res = write (fd, emptyfile.c_str(),
-		                     emptyfile.length());
-		if (close (fd)) return false;
-		if ( (size_t) res != emptyfile.length()) return false;
-
-	} else {
-		if (!S_ISREG (st.st_mode))
-			return false;
-	}
-
-	if (access (fn.c_str(), R_OK | W_OK)) return false;
-
-	return true;
+	return put_private_file (fn, emptyfile, true);
 }
 
 static bool prepare_user_dir (const std::string&dir)
diff --git a/src/symkey.cpp b/src/symkey.cpp
index 57f6922..3675c9e 100644
--- a/src/symkey.cpp
+++ b/src/symkey.cpp
@@ -20,10 +20,11 @@
 
 #include "symkey.h"
 
-#include "sc.h"
 #include "hash.h"
-#include "str_match.h"
 #include "iohelpers.h"
+#include "privfile.h"
+#include "sc.h"
+#include "str_match.h"
 
 #include <sstream>
 
@@ -176,14 +177,6 @@ bool symkey::save (const std::string&fn, const std::string&withlock,
 		data = tmp;
 	}
 
-	std::ofstream sk_out;
-	sk_out.open (fn == "-" ? "/dev/stdout" : fn.c_str(),
-	             std::ios::out | std::ios::binary);
-	if (!sk_out) {
-		err ("error: can't open symkey file for writing");
-		return false;
-	}
-
 	if (armor) {
 		std::vector<std::string> parts;
 		parts.resize (1);
@@ -191,18 +184,13 @@ bool symkey::save (const std::string&fn, const std::string&withlock,
 		data = envelope_format (ENVELOPE_SYMKEY, parts, r);
 	}
 
-	sk_out << data;
-	if (!sk_out.good()) {
+	bool to_stdout = (fn == "-");
+	if (!put_private_file (to_stdout ? "/dev/stdout" : fn,
+	                       data, !to_stdout)) {
 		err ("error: can't write to symkey file");
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	sk_out.close();
-	if (!sk_out.good()) {
-		err ("error: couldn't close symkey file");
-		return false;
-	}
-
 	return true;
 }